The Eldon Mustangs returned nearly every starter from last season, a year in which they only managed three wins, but they have grown quite a bit during the offseason and are already well on their way to a turnaround.
The next step in proving they are for real is beating Hogan Prep this Saturday.
Both Eldon and Hogan ranked just outside the top 10 in the Missouri Media rankings after one week. Eldon is coming off a blowout victory against Confluence Prep Academy, while Hogan won a tight matchup against Lincoln College Prep. The Mustangs will play a very different game against Hogan, as several starters were able to rest more often than usual in their opening game.
Conditioning has always been a key for head coach Shannon Jolley, particularly because so many of his players start on both sides of the football. While they didn't have to play as much last Saturday, look for the conditioning of the Mustangs to play a big role against Hogan, particularly late in the game.
"I think our conditioning Saturday was above average," Jolley said. "I think we still have some work to do and we're going to address that today and for the rest of the week. But that's something that you want to continue to work on all year."
While this Saturday's game will be in the afternoon, the heat may not be a concern. The weather has been cooler recently and that trend is expected to continue into Saturday.
Defensively for Eldon, the key will be stopping DaRon Davis. Davis ran for two scores in Hogan's season opener and plays a big role in the Rams' offense. He can line up all around the field on offense, so he can hurt you rushing and catching the football. Jolley sees gang tackling as the key to slowing down their rushing attack.
"Grab and get ahold and wait for everybody to get there," Jolley said of his game plan against the run. "He's as talented of a running back as we'll see all year, so we just want to get as many people to the point of impact, to the ball carrier, as possible and hopefully get some helmets on him."
On the offensive side of the football, Eldon will just look to stick to what they do best: run the football and build their passing game off that.
"Hopefully we'll be able to establish the run early then, as we did Saturday night, go to the passing game and create some wide open receivers," Jolley said.
This should be a good game with two teams that know how to run the football. It could come down to whose line is able to take control and open up some holes for their running back.
Eldon at Hogan Prep, Saturday at 2 p.m. - Updates on Twitter: @EldonMustang. Listen live online: lakeradio.com
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